Ventilating system



July 20, 1937. H. J. BURT- VENTILA'I ING SYSTEM Filed Jan. '7, 1935 N w j l ww .Q IY u i m W NT .1. f NE W I N m Patented July 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in cooling systems for buildings and refers specifically to means and a method of periodically exhausting or changing the air in various com- 5 partments of a dwelling house as the outside air temperature varies.

The present day dwelling houses or residences usually have a peaked or gabled roof construction whereby an attic is provided between the roof and the ceiling of the living quarters. Even with fiat roofed houses more or less space is provided between the roof and the ceiling of the living compartments. In the summer time or during hot sunny weather the heat of such an attic or space is terrific due to the steady beating of the suns rays upon the roof. To prevent said heat from passing t the living quarters, most modern houses are provided with insulated ceilings which tend in a measure to prevent the passage of heat from the attic to the living quarters. However, even with efflcient insulation consistent with practical economy, much of the heat from the attic or space beneath the roof passes to the upper living quarters.

In addition, during very hot days, the temperature of the usual living quarters is materially raised and after sundown in most loca1i-= ties, the outside air temperature is considerably lower than the temperature within the house. 30 However, even after the temperature of the outside air has decreased to a comfortable degree, the temperature within the house still remains .uncomfortably high until early the next morning. This undesirable condition is even more pronounced in insulated houses than those which are uninsulated.

In artificially cooled or air conditioned house these hereinbefore described effects are also present though not so apparent because of the 40 tendency of the cooling or air conditioning'apparatus to maintain a constant comfortable temperature. However, whether physically noticeable or not, the effect is reflected in the power consumed by the cooling of conditioning appara' 5 tus and in the resulting monthly bills.

As a feature of my invention a method is provided which in general prevents the accumulation of large quantities of attic heat during the day and the consequent raising of the tempera- 50 ture of the living quarters from this source of heat, and after sundown when the outside air is cooled my method contemplates the rapid circulation of said cooled air through the house.

In other words, my invention contemplates ob- 55 taining for the living quarters an average rela- 'tively constant temperature midway in intensity between the outside temperatures during the sun up period and the sundown period.

Briefly described. my invention comprises 'cir-' culating and replenishing the attic air during the sun up or day time period to dissipate or prevent the accumulation of air in the attic at abnormally high temperatures and during the sun down or night time period utilizing the same circulation to cause rapid infiltration of the cool night air into the living quarters.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawing and following detailed description.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section, of a residence equipped with apparatus suitable for carrying out my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of a portion of the apparatus in its sundown or buildings whether dwelling houses or used for other purposes. so long as a space is provided'between the roof and ceiling. r

For purposes of illustration the' ceiling 6 is shown as being provided with insulation 9, carried by the ceiling between rafters l0. However,

whether the ceiling is or is notinsulated, or;

whether all of the walls "are ins'ulatedor the house is or is not provided with an' air cooling, orconditioning device, the principles of 'my'in vention are equally applicable.

To carry out my invention an opening H is provided preferably in an end of the wall l2 of attic l orsaid opening may connect into the space between a flat roof (not shown) and the ceiling in the event that my invention is to be utilized in a fiat roofed building. A motor l3 mounted upon a suitable support it may be mounted adjacent opening ll, said motor carrying a fan iii. The opening ll may connect into a conduit it which may extend into the attic preferably to approximately the center thereof. The conduit it, of

' cross sectional contour.

An opening Il may be provided at the inner end of the conduit l6 which may provide communication between the attic and the outside. A movable partition or closure l8 may be hingedly mounted, as at IS, in such position that the same may be swung over opening H, as shown best in Fig. 3.

An opening 20 may be provided in ceiling 6 adjacent the end of conduit l6 and is so positioned with respect to closure I 8 that the latter, when in horizontal position, closes opening 20. Hence, the arrangement is such that, when closure or partition. I8 is in vertical position, conduit l6 and the living quarters 2| are in communication and when the partition I8 is in horizontal position, conduit l6 and the attic are in communication.

An actuating mechanism 22 may be mounted upon the atticfloor outside the mouth I! of conduit l6, said device being provided with an actuating arm 23 which is connected at itsend; to closure l8. The function of the mechanism 22 is to swing closure l8 from horizontal to vertical position or vice versa as occasion demands. The details of mechanism 22 are not described since the same may comprise any suitable me-' chanical arrangement which is preferably electrically operated so that the position of closure |8 may be conveniently changed by manipulating switch 24 positioned on the wall of the living quarters 2|.

During the day time in hot weather, the rays of the sun striking-roof 8 tend to heat the air within attic I to an abnormal intensity materlally greater than outside air temperatures. If the air within the attic is permitted to remain stagnant the heat accumulation in the attic is enormous. Whether the ceiling 6 is insulated or not this heat is conducted to the living quarters 2| thereby raising the temperature therein. Of course, if the ceiling is insulated, the rate of heat transfer will be less than if it is u-ninsulated, but todate no insulation has yet been proposed which if used in practical quantities can withstand hours of the great temperature difierential between the attic and living quarters. Moreover, if the living quarters are artificially cooled this differential will be even greater and consequently the cooling unit will berun at capacity to maintain comfortable conditions in the living quarters.

By the provision of my invention, fan Is may the outside, the air passing through windows, crevices, etc., in the attic walls and roof. In this manner the attic air is never permitted to remain stagnant and the average temperature of the attic air is brought to substantially the temperature of the outside air, whereas otherwise it would be from 50 to degrees higher..

In addition, by providing conduit l6 and establishing communication adjacent the center of the attic space the air of the entire attic is kept at a substantially uniform temperature. If this uniformity of temperature were to be maintained without the use of conduit l6 or its equivalent, a fan and motor of approximately 4 to 6 times the capacity would be necessary to accomplish the same results depending upon the volume and dimensions of the attic.

During the night or when the temperature of the outside air is less than the temperature within the quarters 2|, switch 24 may be manipulated to swing closure l8 to its vertical position thereby efiecting communication between conduit l6 and living quarters 2|. With fan l5 rotating in the same direction, the warm air will be drawn from the living quarters and replenished by the cooled or not, and is especially attractive in that its cost is low and may be installed in existing houses as readily as in houses during construction.

By .the use of the term attic in the specification and claims is meant that space between the roof and the ceiling of the living quarters.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. Apparatus for cooling a building having an attic and adjacent living quarters comprising in combination, a conduit having a discharge outlet to atmosphere, an air inlet connected to the attic and another air inlet connected to the living quarters, and single means for closing one of said air inlets while simultaneously opening the other.

2. A device for cooling a dwelling house having an attic and adjacent living quarters comprising in combination, a conduit opening exteriorly of the building at one end and having communication with both an intermediate portion of the attic and the living quarters at the other end, means for forcibly moving the air in said conduit and a common valve movable to selectively close the opening of said conduit to said attic or said living quarters.

HENRY J. BURT. 

